1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates generally to hand accessories useful for improving the control and gripping strength of the hand in connection with the handle of an implement, such as a baseball bat, thereby reducing stress to the hand and providing greater control of the handle. More specifically, the current invention distributes force from a recoiling or heavy handle in varying degrees to various areas of the hand in accordance with the suitability of those areas in absorbing force, and/or transferring force to a handle, thus stronger areas of the hand are utilized than would be possible without the invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The subject matter of the present invention is an improvement over the structure defined within U.S. Pat. No. 7,179,180 B1 filed Apr. 26, 2005 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,671 filed Mar. 10, 2006, invented by the present inventor and designed to enhance the user's gripping and/or swinging strength primarily in conjunction with a baseball bat, but also with any other round, thin handle, such as a weight lifting bar, tool, bicycle or steering wheel. (All other prior art by the current inventor was reviewed extensively during the prosecution of U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,671.)
The present invention shall be contrasted to fifth embodiment 203 (FIGS. 13-19) (examiner's Group V) and sixth embodiment 300 (FIGS. 20-26), both of U.S. Pat. No. 7,179,180 B1, and seventh embodiment 400 (FIGS. 27-35) of U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,671. Embodiment 203, claimed independently, is the basis for all following embodiments by the current inventor because 203 absorbs the majority of the force (or stress) of a recoiling or heavy handle and disperses that stress into the lower, stronger portion of the hand (the “lower hand”), thereby minimizing the job of any structure located in the upper portion of the hand “upper hand”. Thus, the whole structure of embodiment 203 is the basis of tough ball anchors 310 and 410 (located in the lower hand) in embodiments 300 and 400 and now current embodiment 500 (lower hand grip 510). The purpose of upper hand structure has been primarily to protect the thumb bone from bruising without adding stress to the upper hand. The upper hand structure of embodiment 300 (lifeline anchor 320) was comfortable but did not provide enough thumb protection. The inventor's prior two patents explained the problem of bulkiness in the upper hand/web area: although many forms of padding may serve to protect the thumb from bruising, the bulkiness created by the padding also receives and creates more stress in the weaker upper hand as well as discomfort in the gripping process. The problem of thumb protection without bulkiness was not satisfactorily improved until the discovery of upper hand anchor 420 of embodiment 400 (now upper hand grip 520), which has several unique structures, especially the key structure of web anchor 418 (now outer web anchor 518) which made the whole upper hand anchor 420 workable. The structure of the current invention appears similar to a combination of embodiment 203 and upper hand anchor 420 of embodiment 400. Most of the anchors remain fixed in their same or similar locations of the hand, however the various receiving and dispersing structures have been modified to better account for and conform to the hand's full range of motion (described under “Grip Analysis”). This allows the hand accessory to actually move into and out of supporting positions at the various phases of the grip, while also performing more efficiently with less structure and thinner material, thereby capturing and relocating fleshy areas into more supporting positions, removing stress from weaker, sensitive areas of the hand. The current structures will be named the same and numbered with the same last two digits as the similar structure defined in embodiment 400 in most cases.
Embodiment 400, used in games by some professional baseball players, was difficult to improve upon. It provided adequate thumb joint protection and had perfect comfort and bat control in the initial gripping position (phase one) and good control in the ending position (phase three/four), but did not conform perfectly to the hand's “tuck” movement in phase two, and was not widely accepted for bottom hand usage.
Note: For simplicity, the tendons in the metacarpal area (felt in the palm of the hand) are referred to as middle finger tendon, ring finger tendon etc.
An ongoing problem has been bulkiness in the web area not only adding stress to the upper hand at the wrist, but also impinging on the middle and index finger tendons as the thumb base moves downward, as well as stress on the thumb's second joint, third joint (carpal area) and thumb base muscles. The current invention describes a sensitive mid-palm 28 as being the area of index finger tendon 6 and middle finger tendon 7, and a less-sensitive palm 18, being a somewhat tough area extending inward from ring finger hollow 8 ending just outward of bony heel 43. The upper portion of embodiment 203 extended to and ended anchoring at less sensitive palm 18 (described as ring finger trough area 18 at that time) avoiding middle finger tendon 7. Embodiment 300 also avoided sensitive mid-palm 28 by connecting upper hand anchor to lower hand anchor at the lower lifeline by the wrist with swivel 330. However, neither 203 nor 300 provided adequate protection of the thumb from bruising. Embodiment 400 avoided sensitive mid-palm 28 by lifeline/web anchor 425 anchoring (pressing in) just above index finger tendon 6 at lower web 32 and arcing into lifeline 36 transferring force downwardly along thumb base/lifeline anchor 452 and thence to lower anchoring areas at the thumb base, wrist and tough ball areas, thus circumventing sensitive mid-palm 28, but allowing slightly more stress to be received in the thumb and upper portions than was desired by the current inventor and also not allowing a completely unrestrained phase two movement (see “Grip Analysis”).
Another problem with previous embodiments was stabilizing the primary contact area 506 against the inertial force of a bat being swung (hand parallel to the ground, bottom of the hand leading), forcing the hand accessory upwards in the hand. This was accomplished by very thick structure in embodiment 203, thinning and becoming more flexible in embodiments 300 and 400, but not to total satisfaction. The thick, less flexible structure of 203, weighing 54 grams, definitely widened the effective grip of the hand, but the primary contact point made contact from phase one through phase four, which was helpful through phase two, but created some blocking of the handle rotation inward toward the wrist at and following phase four (the follow through). Embodiments 300 and 400 had less direct contact at the primary contact area and were more comfortable, but still absorbed too much handle force in the upper portion of the little finger, the ring finger and tough ball areas, rather than the desired lower tough ball, the strongest, toughest area of the hand.
Current lower hand grip 510, appearing from a distance the same as embodiment 203 but weighing only 16 grams, is structured in such a way as to support handle 48 further outward in the fingers with less thickness than all previous embodiments, with primary contact area 506 moving up (externally) to contact the handle only at phase two, then returning to its position below (internal) of the handle during phase three and four and the follow through of the swing, this being especially important in bottom hand gripping, with the flared handle creating interference with an extended primary contact point otherwise.
The above feature was accomplished by a number of structural changes which also accomplished the goal of providing a complete phase two grip and the hand accessory being useable for bottom hand gripping of a baseball bat. Part of the discovery occurred by cutting the hand accessory lengthwise (see 500A FIG. 3) from the area of thumb joint anchor 522 dissecting down to what is now handle wedge 505 and ridge 504 ending just above the lower edge of fulcrum platform 502, and then moving the inner portion downward and somewhat forward such that when reconnected, handle wedge 505 became apparent (see 500B, FIG. 6) and the whole arcing edge 507 was much lower than embodiment 400, extending further below little finger knuckle 27 and lower tough ball 39. This improvement was to allow the inner hand to move fully lower and outward during phase two grip, but also resulted in providing greater support for handle 48, as the area from handle wedge 505 upwards to the lower portion of bridge 540 now rises externally behind (inward of) handle 48 in support of handle 48, as a portion of the primary contact area 506 which extends below the hand is allowed to depress internally with no direct contact with the hand (internally of handle wedge 505), dispersing most of the inertial force into the lower tough ball 39 rather than into upper areas.
The external movement of primary contact area 506 to contact the handle at phase two and then resume its lower position at phase three, called upward rotation, is the result of the above, plus a number of other structural changes such as a very high arcing bridge conforming to little knuckle phase two movement (described following), which when pressed internally and upwardly by the recoiling handle (inertial handle force) creates a rotation at primary contact area 506 pressing the upper area internally while the lower area rises up externally, aided by phase two outward movement of the hand's lower tough ball at fulcrum ridge 504 forcing fulcrum platform 502 outwardly, rotating primary contact area 506 externally following bridge 540 being pressed inwardly and upwardly, the external rotation of primary contact area 506 aided by a rotational bending at anchor flex 572 in the outward portion of relocation channel 570 and an inward (concave) bending at concave platform 539 during phase one moving to an outward (convex) bending at concave platform during phase two.
Definition of Directions: For directional purposes, the areas of hand accessory 500, defined as upper, lower, outward (or forward) and inward, shall be used to apply to coinciding areas of the hand (see FIG. 1), the hand's upper portion (upper hand) being the thumb, web and index knuckle area, the lower portion (lower hand) being the little finger/tough ball area. Outward direction (or forward) is toward the fingers. The outer hand is outward of shift line 9. Inner direction is toward the wrist. The inner hand is everything inward of shift line 9. Note: Since the natural tendency is to think of the palm as “inward” from the thumb, this reminder: extending from the wrist or thumb toward the palm is an “outward” direction. Moving up a line perpendicular to the palm would be “exterior” or away from the hand, moving down the line would be “interior” or deeper in the hand. The interior, back or rear side of hand accessory 500 is the side pressed against the hand.
Grip Analysis for Gripping and Swinging a Baseball Bat
Top hand (right for a right hand hitter): The following shall describe a “finger grip”. In Phase one the grip starts to tighten with the handle held against the knuckles outward of the hand's shift line 9, the upper hand tilting rearward away from the handle as the bat begins to move from a vertical position to a horizontal position (see “top hand tilt” under “Demonstration” for further significance. The finger grip displaces the skin outward of shift line 9 inward (internally during gripping) relocating and compacting the skin into the area of ring finger hollow 8 as a slight bulge, partially supporting handle 48, this to be known as shift line support 10. Phase two, the power phase, is characterized by further tightening outside of shift line 9, with the inner hand (including the tough ball and thumb base) pivoting downward and outward (toward the handle), the lower tough ball “tucking” partially under the handle as the elbow of the batter draws in toward the ribs creating a slight clockwise motion of the hand and also a more “cocked” position (see “clockwise” under Demonstration). In phase three, the control phase, the upper hand un-cocks and moves forward, as the lower fingers move relatively toward the batter while the thumb reverses direction moving upward and outward (away from the batter) attempting to direct the handle for accuracy, now creating a slightly counterclockwise rotation, whereby the upper knuckles move away from the handle and the thumb moves toward the handle reducing space between the handle and hand and creating stress to the thumb and possible bruising to the thumb second joint. At the end of phase three, there is little space left for any hand accessory material, which creates a challenge in finding a means of insulating the thumb from bruising. Phase four, also called “full grip” is a combination of phase two and phase three occurring together as the hand tightens to its strongest gripping strength (explained more fully following).
The above described change in positions happens so fast it is not readily apparent even in a slow motion analysis of a hitter, especially if the pitch is high and outside and/or the hitter swings late and “goes to the opposite field”; the movement into phase two position, which resembles a golf grip, is more apparent on a low, inside pitch and/or when the hitter “pulls” the ball.
It is important to understand that there is another reason why the hand movement is not readily apparent: After the hand “un-cocks” and fully tightens going from phase two to phase four, the amount of distance the inner hand moves toward the outer hand (from a firm grip to a fully tightened grip) may vary between only ¼ to 1/16 inch along shift line 9. That distance must be allowed by the hand accessory in order to achieve maximum grip strength, modified only by thumb spread 526 and other upper hand anchoring structure bracing only the upper area of the thumb away from the handle in a more open position (explained in the detail).
Demonstration: Place one's left thumb on one's right hand in the area just outward of ring finger hollow 8 and apply a pincer grip (left hand fingers at the back). Squeeze the right hand tightly. Notice the hand's fleshy bulge 13 moves under one's thumb (forward past ring finger hollow 8) while the hand's upper web 46 also moves forward past ring finger hollow 8 in phase four grip. In fact, all the following hand movements may be readily observed by applying the above grip at ring finger hollow 8 which is a stationary pivotal area as the hand pivots downward into phase two, then upward into phase three, and finally fully tightens (described above) moving forward in a combination of phase two and three. The final forward movement of the inner hand (at phase four full grip) is mostly a compaction (as an accordion being squeezed).
“Clockwise motion” is observed from a top view of the gripping hand in phase one through phase two, and is actually the upper, outer hand moving internally, or rearward, (especially the top two fingers) while the inner hand is moving externally (closing), the clockwise motion allowing the fingers to maintain control of the handle, the upper fingers moving rearward with the inertial handle while the inner hand moves forward past the handle, the upper portion not being jammed by the handle in phase two. The clockwise motion is enhanced by thumb spread 526 pressing into lower web 32 and other structure within current upper hand grip 500 filling the hand's lower web, extending phase two grip and somewhat limiting phase three grip, but only in the upper, second joint portion of the thumb.
Note: For simplicity, the hand's thumb connection in the carpal area is referenced “thumb third joint”. Illustration: the only structural attachment of the thumb to the hand is at the third joint by the wrist. The thumb's web attachment to the index finger is like a pole A (thumb) spaced apart at the top and attached to a pole B by a leather hinge, the bottoms of the two poles joined by a spring. Pushing pole A forward and downward will have no effect except to possibly jam the top area into pole B (the thumb second joint hits the handle); however, apply a brace against the leather hinge mid-way between pole A and pole B (thumb spread pressing into the lower web), then push on pole A and force will transfer to the bottom of pole A (thumb transfers force through the third joint to the lower hand itself, and a force will pull pole B rearward relatively past the brace (the upper, outer hand moves rearward maintaining control of the handle). This may also be demonstrated by pressing one's left thumb into the lower web, the left thumb anchored at less sensitive palm 18, not impinging on the outer hand, and watching the outer hand move rearward as the thumb closes (moves forward).
The little finger knuckle, being an exception to the above described rearward movement, moves not only externally in closing (gripping) but also attempts to move downwardly when swinging a bat in phase two. This little finger knuckle movement is to be described as little knuckle phase two position. All current embodiments are now better conforming to phase two clockwise motion than any previous inventions. Current embodiments 500B, C and D now conform to little knuckle phase two position.
Notice also another movement (with pincer grip applied): the upper hand may pivot rearward (toward the back of the hand) tilting away from the handle while the lower hand pivots (or tilts) toward the handle which is the motion at phase one, top hand, as the bat begins moving from vertical to horizontal going into phase two, to be known as “top hand tilt”. Top hand tilt is partially responsible for upward rotation, bringing the lower portion of primary contact area 506 in contact with handle 48; the hand may do the opposite movement, the upper hand pivoting towards the handle while the lower hand pivots away, which is the movement occurring in the bottom hand grip (following). Bottom hand (left for right hand hitter): the bottom hand stays in a phase two grip, same as phase two top hand only slightly more open (the lower hand tilted away from the handle, see above) throughout the entire swing (flared handles already accommodating the lower hand tilt). The significance of this is that the solutions to the phase two deficiency of embodiment 400 have also improved current hand accessory 500 for bottom hand usage as well.
From the above analysis, one can see why hitting coaches disagree over whether the grip should be tight or relaxed, as they probably are thinking about different stages of the grip. In order for the hand to move fully into phase 2 it is necessary to keep the upper portion of the hand (index finger and thumb area) somewhat relaxed. It is only in phase 3 and 4 where the index finger fully tightens on most pitches.
See FIG. 1, depicting an open hand. Then see FIG. 2, depicting phase 2 grip: notice point A and point B have moved closer to each other, depicting a large loss of space in the lower hand that occurs when swinging a baseball bat (and this is before the final “accordion type” loss of space at full grip). Not apparent in FIG. 2 is that the area of point B not only moves closer but also lower than point A which is being pressed upwardly by the handle gripped by the lower fingers (although the little finger knuckle is attempting to move downwardly), the handle being parallel to the ground inertially forcing the knuckles (everything outside of the transverse crease) upward relative to the downward, outward moving inner portion of the hand. Space required to allow the whole inner hand to move to its full grip is roughly 1¼ inches at the lower area and ½ inch at the upper area.
In FIG. 2, though point B tough ball area 38 is the most pronounced and noticeable area of movement, the entire inner hand changes position all along shift line 9 relative to the outer hand holding the handle. When embodiment 400 moved (with the motion of the hand) into phase two position, the anchors all remained fixed in their places and the upper portion (upper anchor 420 moved downward and outward (forward) with no impingement of the sensitive mid-palm. However movement of thumb base 30 was somewhat restricted from moving fully forward and downward because of the connection of embodiment 400 just below mid-palm anchor 415 with tough ball anchor 410. Upper anchor 420, moving toward primary contact point 406, although supplying support to primary contact point 406, also created a bulge (seen without the glove), the bulge when held firm under the pressure of an external glove and handle resulting in a feeling of too much thickness in the area of tough ball 38, and a slight restriction in the gripping range of motion all along shift line 9. Cutting out the bulging area and rejoining embodiment 400 does not solve the problem as there would not then be enough material to allow the hand to finish the phase three motion (the anchors pull out of place), and also because the design of tough ball 410 did not allow the hand's lower tough ball 39 to move fully outward (see the basic solution on pages 5 & 6).
Current hand accessory 500 allows the full range of necessary hand motion, in fact augmenting that motion, while limiting a certain undesirable hand motion for optimal performance, anchoring now more successfully in the main areas described in embodiment 400 and in new areas with new structure, dispersing still more stress away from sensitive hand areas to be received in stronger, tougher areas of the hand.